Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday inaugurated the Z-Morh tunnel at Sonamarg, a strategic infrastructural project that is key to all-weather connectivity to Ladakh.
The tunnel has been renamed Sonamarg tunnel, after the famous tourist resort that will have round-the-year connectivity thanks to this project.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha were also present at the inauguration.
Modi inspected the 6.5-kilometre tunnel and interacted with workers who played a role in its construction. During the day, he will address a public rally at Sonamarg.
The tunnel, developed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), connects Sonamarg with Kangan town in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Constructed near Gagangir village near Sonamarg, a famous tourist destination on the Srinagar-Leh highway, it will provide all-weather connectivity to it and Ladakh, which is important for strategic and military reasons.
The stretch where the tunnel is situated is at an altitude of more than 8,500 feet, and was prone to snow avalanches in the winter, which would close the Sonamarg road for most of the season.
The project was originally started by the Border Roads Organisation in 2012. While the BRO awarded the construction contract to Tunnelway Ltd, the project was later taken over by the NHIDCL.
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